Murdoch Mysteries ''Murdoch Mysteries'' is a Canadian television drama series that premiered on Citytv on January 20, 2008, and currently airs on CBC. The series is based on characters from the ''Detective Murdoch'' novels by Maureen Jennings and stars Yannick B ...

'' is a Canadian mystery drama television series that began in 2008. The series is based on the ''Detective Murdoch'' novels by

Maureen Jennings Maureen Jennings (born 1939) is a British Canadian writer, most well known for the ''Detective Murdoch Series'', the basis for the television series ''Murdoch Mysteries''. She is credited as a Creative Consultant and occasionally writer for the ...

and is set in Toronto around the turn of the 20th century. It centres on William Murdoch (

Yannick Bisson Yannick Denis Bisson (born May 16, 1969) is a Canadian film and television actor and director best known to international audiences for playing Detective William Murdoch on the series ''Murdoch Mysteries''. Early life Bisson was born in Montrea ...

), a detective at Station House Four, who solves crimes using scientific techniques and inventions which are highly advanced for the time (e.g. fingerprinting). He is assisted by Constable George Crabtree (

Jonny Harris Jonathan Harris (born September 22, 1975) is a Canadian actor and comedian from Newfoundland and Labrador.Hélène Joy Hélène Joy is an Australian-born Canadian actress. She is best known for her work in television series '' Durham County'' and '' Murdoch Mysteries''. Biography Joy was born in Perth and raised in Australia. She began acting in Kewdale Senior ...

) and Inspector Thomas Brackenreid ( Thomas Craig). The show was developed for television by R.B. Carney, Cal Coons and Alexandra Zarowny. It is produced by

Shaftesbury Films Shaftesbury Films is a film, television and digital media production company founded by Christina Jennings in 1987. It is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Background Shaftesbury is a creator and producer of original content for television and ...

. The series was preceded by three television movies, which aired on

Bravo! CTV Drama Channel (formerly known as Bravo) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by Bell Media. The channel was founded as the Canadian version of the U.S. channel Bravo (which is now owned by NBCUniversal) on January 1, 1995 b ...

from 2004 to 2005. These featured a different cast:

Peter Outerbridge Peter Outerbridge (born June 30, 1966) is a Canadian actor, best known for his role as Ari Tasarov in the CW action series ''Nikita'', Dr. David Sandström in the TMN series ''ReGenesis'', Henrik "Hank" Johanssen in ''Orphan Black'', Bob Corbett ...

as Murdoch,

Keeley Hawes Claire Julia Hawes (born 10 February 1976), known professionally as Keeley Hawes, is an English actress. After beginning her career in a number of literary adaptations, including ''Our Mutual Friend'' (1998) and '' Tipping the Velvet'' (2002), Ha ...

as Doctor Ogden, Matthew MacFadzean as Constable Crabtree and

Colm Meaney Colm J. Meaney (; ga, Colm Ó Maonaigh; born 30 May 1953) is an Irish actor known for playing Miles O'Brien in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987–1994) and '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (1993–1999). He has guest-starred on many T ...

as Inspector Brackenreid. ''Murdoch Mysteries'' aired on

Citytv Citytv is a Canadian television network owned by the Rogers Sports & Media subsidiary of Rogers Communications. The licence of the original Citytv station, granted the callsign of CITY-TV by the CRTC on November 25, 1971 to Cable Television Ass ...

for five seasons before being cancelled. It was then picked up by CBC, where it has aired since season six. The show airs in the UK on

Alibi An alibi (from the Latin, '' alibī'', meaning "somewhere else") is a statement by a person, who is a possible perpetrator of a crime, of where they were at the time a particular offence was committed, which is somewhere other than where the crim ...

and is co-produced by Alibi's parent company,

UKTV UKTV Media Limited, simply known as UKTV, is a British multi-channel broadcaster, which, since 2019, has been wholly owned by BBC Studios (formerly BBC Worldwide), a commercial subsidiary of the BBC. It was formed on 1 November 1992 through ...

. It has also aired in the United States on

Ovation The ovation ( la, ovatio from ''ovare'': to rejoice) was a form of the Roman triumph. Ovations were granted when war was not declared between enemies on the level of nations or states; when an enemy was considered basely inferior (e.g., slaves, p ...

under the title ''The Artful Detective'', but as of season twelve, has reverted to the original title. The United States will premiere Season 14 on Ovation, starting February 20, 2021. Season 15 aired in the US on both

and

Acorn TV The acorn, or oaknut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives (genera ''Quercus'' and '' Lithocarpus'', in the family Fagaceae). It usually contains one seed (occasionally two seeds), enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne ...

at the start of January 2022.

Series overview

Episodes

Television films (2004–2005)

Season 1 (2008)

In July 2007, Shaftesbury Films announced that filming had begun on a 13-episode series based on both Maureen Jennings' novels and the ''Murdoch Mysteries'' TV movies, which would air on Bravo! in 2008. However, subsequent changes in Canadian media ownership resulted in Bravo! being owned by

CTVglobemedia Bell Media Inc. ( French: ) is a Canadian company formed by the amalgamation of several companies. Establishment (2011–13) On December 9, 2011, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan announced the sale of its majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports ...

, whereas ''Murdoch Mysteries'' was acquired by

Rogers Communications Rogers Communications Inc. is a Canadian communications and media company operating primarily in the fields of wireless communications, cable television, telephony and Internet, with significant additional telecommunications and mass media ass ...

, who decided to air it on their recently acquired CityTV network. Filming of the first season of ''Murdoch Mysteries'' took place between June 11 and October 17, 2007, primarily in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario. Recurring cast members include

Tamara Hope Tamara Lindeman (born November 2, 1984), also known by the name Tamara Hope, is a Canadian actress and musician. Her starring roles include ''Guinevere Jones'' and ''The Nickel Children'', as well as a recurring role on CTV's ''Whistler'' as Le ...

as Edna Garrison,

Dmitry Chepovetsky Dmitry Chepovetsky (born 1970) is a Canadian actor, best known for his role of Bob Melnikov in the TV series '' ReGenesis''. Early life and education Chepovetsky was born in Lviv, Ukraine. His family left in 1976 along with waves of other Jewis ...

Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla ( ; ,"Tesla"
''

Lachlan Murdoch as Constable Henry Higgins, Arwen Humphreys as Margaret Brackenreid, Allan Royal as Chief Constable Stockton,

Geraint Wyn Davies Geraint Wyn Davies (, 20 April 1957) is a Welsh-American stage, film and television actor-director. Educated in Canada, he has worked in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. His most famous role as the vampire-turned police detec ...

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

, Maria del Mar as Sarah Pensell,

Stephen McHattie Stephen McHattie Smith (born February 3, 1946)Other sources cite 1945, 1947, and 1948. is a Canadian actor. Since beginning his professional career in 1970, he has amassed over 200 film and television credits. He won the Genie Award for Best Sup ...

as Harry Murdoch, and

Peter Keleghan Peter Keleghan is a Canadian actor and writer, perhaps best known for portraying Ben Bellow in the comedy series ''18 to Life'', Clark Claxton Sr. in the comedy series ''Billable Hours'' and Ranger Gord in ''The Red Green Show''. Currently has a ...

as Terrence Meyers.

Season 2 (2009)

''Murdoch Mysteries'' was renewed for a second season by CityTV in April 2008. Filming for season two took place in Toronto,

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

and

St. George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...

. Additional filming took place in

Drumheller Drumheller is a town on the Red Deer River in the badlands of Central Alberta, east-central Alberta, Canada. It is northeast of Calgary and south of Stettler, Alberta, Stettler. The Drumheller portion of the Red Deer River valley, often ref ...

and near

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, where the set of the 1989 series '' Bordertown'' was used. Recurring cast members include Lachlan Murdoch as Henry Higgins, Arwen Humphreys as Margaret Brackenreid,

Paul Amos Paul Roger Amos (born 6 March 1975) is a Welsh actor and web series producer, currently based in Canada. He is most noted for his recurring role as Vex in the television series ''Lost Girl'', and as the voice of Jacob Frye in the ''Assassin's ...

as Doctor Roberts,

Sarah Gadon Sarah Lynn Gadon (born April 4, 1987) is a Canadian actress. She began her acting career guest-starring in a number of television series, such as ''Are You Afraid of the Dark?'' (1999), '' Mutant X'' (2002), and ''Dark Oracle'' (2004). She also ...

as Ruby Ogden,

Michael Seater Michael Seater (born January 15, 1987) is a Canadian actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. From 2005 to 2009, he starred as the titular role in the Canadian sitcom ''Life with Derek''. He later portrayed James Gillies in ''Murdoch Mysteri ...

as James Gillies, Peter Keleghan as Terrence Meyers,

Sarah Allen Sarah Allen is a Canadian actress. She studied acting at the National Theatre School of Canada and graduated in 2002. ''Being Human'' Allen is perhaps best known for playing vampire Rebecca Flynt on SyFy's '' Being Human''. For the role ...

as Enid Jones,

Dakota Goyo Dakota Avery Goyo (born August 22, 1999) is a Canadian former actor. He is best known for playing Max Kenton in the film ''Real Steel'' (2011) and Jesse Barrett in the film ''Dark Skies'' (2013). He also voices Jamie Bennett in the DreamWorks A ...

as Alwyn Jones, and

as Harry Murdoch.

Season 3 (2010)

''Murdoch Mysteries'' was renewed for a third season by CityTV in June 2009. As part of the show's production deal, all episodes premiered in the UK on the Alibi network before premiering in Canada; this arrangement continued until the end of season five. The first episode of season three was partially filmed in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, England. Additional filming took place around Ontario, at Ball's Falls and the

Glanmore National Historic Site Glanmore National Historic Site (Glanmore House), located in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, is a former residence and current National Historic Site. It was constructed in 1882-1883 for J.P.C. Phillips and his wife Harriet Dougall Phillips. Arch ...

. Recurring cast members include Lachlan Murdoch as Henry Higgins,

Lisa Faulkner Lisa Tamsin Faulkner (born 19 February 1972) is an actress, presenter and celebrity chef. Early life Faulkner was born in Merton, London, to David Faulkner and Julie (née Day). She lived in Esher and was educated at Tiffin Girls' School in ...

as Anna Fulford, Allan Royal as Chief Constable Stockton, Richard Clarkin as Inspector Davis, Arwen Humphreys as Margaret Brackenreid, Paul Amos as Doctor Roberts,

Peter Stebbings Peter Stebbings is a Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter best known for portraying Kevin Sharp in the drama series ''Madison (TV series), Madison'', Paul Deeds in the series ''Traders (TV series), Traders'', and for writing an ...

as James Pendrick, Kate Greenhouse as Sally Pendrick, Sarah Gadon as Ruby Ogden, Dmitry Chepovetsky as Nikola Tesla, and Peter Keleghan as Terrence Meyers.

Season 4 (2011)

In August 2010, Shaftesbury Films announced that production on season four had begun and was scheduled to continue through November 2010. Guest stars in season four include

Victor Garber Victor Joseph Garber (born March 16, 1949) is a Canadian-American actor and singer. Known for his work in film, television, and theatre, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also ...

, Simon Williams, Peter Keleghan,

Craig Olejnik Craig Olejnik is a Canadian actor. Early life Olejnik graduated from West Kings District High School in Auburn, Nova Scotia. His father was in the military. His grandparents immigrated to Canada from Poland. Career Olejnik is known for his l ...

, and

Lisa Ray Lisa Rani Ray (born 4 April 1972) is a Canadian actress and model who has also worked internationally. Ray began her modelling career in India in the early 1990s, appearing for leading Indian brands like Bombay Dyeing and Lakmé. She made her a ...

. On October 15, 2010, then

Canadian Prime Minister The prime minister of Canada (french: premier ministre du Canada, link=no) is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the confidence of a majority the elected House of Commons; as such ...

Stephen Harper Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. Harper is the first and only prime minister to come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, ...

and his daughter visited the set of ''Murdoch Mysteries''. As part of the visit to the set Stephen Harper filmed a cameo appearance.

Season 5 (2012)

Season five was announced at the Citytv 'Summer in the Square' on May 31, 2011. Part of the festivities of the day included a Victorian era costume competition with the winner getting a role in an episode of ''Murdoch Mysteries''.

Season 6 (2013)

On November 15, 2011, it was announced that CBC would broadcast a sixth season of ''Murdoch Mysteries''. Scenes from "The Ghost of Queen's Park" were filmed on location on July 13, 2012.

David Onley David Charles Onley (born June 12, 1950) is a former Canadian journalist who served as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario

, the current

Lieutenant Governor of Ontario The lieutenant governor of Ontario (, in French: ''Lieutenant-gouverneur'' (if male) or ''Lieutenante-gouverneure'' (if female) ''de l'Ontario'') is the viceregal representative in Ontario of the , who operates distinctly within the province bu ...

, had a cameo in season six in which he portrayed the eighth Lieutenant Governor of Ontario,

Oliver Mowat Sir Oliver Mowat (July 22, 1820 – April 19, 1903) was a Canadian lawyer, politician, and Ontario Liberal Party leader. He served for nearly 24 years as the third premier of Ontario. He was the eighth lieutenant governor of Ontario and one of ...

. Thomas Howes made a guest appearance as

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

, who asked Murdoch's help when he was accused of murder.

Georgina Reilly Georgina Reilly (born February 12, 1986) is an English/Canadian film and television actress best known to date for her roles in the films '' Pontypool'' and ''This Movie Is Broken'', the television series '' The L.A. Complex'' and '' Murdoch Mys ...

(Dr. Emily Grace) was promoted to series regular for the sixth season.

Season 7 (2013–2014)

On April 2, 2013, CBC renewed ''Murdoch Mysteries'' for a seventh season, to consist of an extended order of 18 episodes instead of the usual 13. The seventh season had its premiere on September 30, 2013.

Season 8 (2014–2015)

On April 4, 2014, CBC renewed ''Murdoch Mysteries'' for an eighth season.

Season 9 (2015–2016)

On March 4, 2015, it was announced that CBC had renewed ''Murdoch Mysteries'' for a ninth season. On May 25, 2015, it was announced that

William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...

would be guest starring as author

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...

. Season 9 will see guest appearances of

Lucy Maud Montgomery Lucy Maud Montgomery (November 30, 1874 – April 24, 1942), published as L. M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a collection of novels, essays, short stories, and poetry beginning in 1908 with '' Anne of Green Gables''. She ...

, Prime Minister

Wilfrid Laurier Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier, ( ; ; November 20, 1841 – February 17, 1919) was a Canadian lawyer, statesman, and politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. The first French Canadian prime minis ...

and

Mouna Traoré Mouna Traoré (born May 4, 1995) is a Canadian actress and filmmaker. She is known for her performances in a variety of television series, such as Global TV's ''Rookie Blue'' (2012), CBC's ''Murdoch Mysteries'' (2015–2018), and Netflix's ''Th ...

as Rebecca James, a young protegee whom Julia takes under her wing.

Season 10 (2016–2017)

On March 31, 2016, CBC announced the tenth season of ''Murdoch Mysteries'', ten days after the ninth-season finale.

Season 11 (2017–2018)

On March 13, 2017, CBC renewed the show for an eleventh season consisting of 18 episodes and a third two-hour Christmas special. This season saw the return of

Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell (, born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born inventor, scientist and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He also co-founded the American Telephone and Te ...

and

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

. Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan and Dr.

William Osler Sir William Osler, 1st Baronet, (; July 12, 1849 – December 29, 1919) was a Canadian physician and one of the "Big Four" founding professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital. Osler created the first Residency (medicine), residency program for spec ...

made guest appearances as well.

Dylan Neal Dylan Jeremy Neal (born October 8, 1969"Catching up with....Dylan Neal". ''Soap Opera Digest''. July 22, 2013. p. 73.) is a Canadian/American actor. He holds dual citizenship in Canada and the United States. He is known for his portrayal of the ...

reprised his role as Jasper Linney, Murdoch's half brother, during the Christmas special, last seen in the season two finale.

, who played Rebecca James, left the show in episode two, with a guest appearance in episode seventeen.

Shanice Banton Shanice Antonette Banton (born 1992) is a Canadian actress known for her role as Marisol Lewis on Degrassi: The Next Generation. She has also portrayed Violet Hart on Murdoch Mysteries since season eleven. Her first appearance in a feature film w ...

joined the cast in episode four, in a recurring role, as Violet Hart, a medical student and Julia's new morgue assistant.

Season 12 (2018–2019)

Unlike seasons nine through eleven, the twelfth season of ''Murdoch Mysteries'' did not include a Christmas movie, opting instead for an "out of the box" Halloween episode. Former Canadian Olympic figure skater

Elvis Stojko Elvis Stojko, (born March 22, 1972) is a Canadian figure skater. He was a three-time World champion (1994, 1995, 1997), two-time Olympic silver medallist (1994, 1998), and seven-time Canadian champion (1994, 1996–2000, and 2002). Personal ...

guest starred in episode 13 as ex-con Sam Marshal, who Murdoch suspects of murder. The episode also saw the return of,

Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla ( ; ,"Tesla"
''

Colin Mochrie reprises his role from last season as Ralph Fellows and

Patrick McKenna Patrick McKenna (born May 8, 1960) is a Canadian comedian and actor. He is best known for playing Harold Green on the television series ''The Red Green Show''. Early life Patrick McKenna became interested in Second City when a high-school teach ...

returned as Inspector Hamish Slorach, last seen in season eight. The season averaged 1.1 million viewers in Canada on CBC from September 24, 2018, to March 4, 2019.

Season 13 (2019–2020)

On March 25, 2019, CBC renewed the show for a thirteenth season of eighteen episodes. This season, ''Murdoch Mysteries'' celebrated its 200th episode, with Lisa Norton, John Tench,

, David Storch and Peter Stebbings, reprising their roles as Emma Goldman, Alexander Graham Bell, Nicholas Telsa, Thomas Edison, and James Pendrick respectively.

Colm Feore Colm Joseph Feore (; born August 22, 1958) is a Canadian actor. A 15-year veteran of the Stratford Festival, he is known for his Gemini-winning turn as Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in the CBC miniseries '' Trudeau'' (2002), his portrayal of G ...

made a guest appearance this season as George's long lost father, George Crabtree Sr., that was directed by Yannick Bisson.

Season 14 (2021)

This season sees the return of

, and

Matthew Bennett Matthew Ray Bennett (born April 9, 1968) is a Canadian actor, writer and director. He is best known for portraying Detective Len Harper on ''Cold Squad'' and his recurring roles as Aaron Doral cylon model number five in the reimagined '' Battle ...

as Terrence Meyers, James Pendrick and Allen Clegg, respectively, with Yannick Bisson directing the first two episodes and a total of eleven episodes.

Season 15 (2021–2022)

Season fifteen will have twenty four episodes, including Halloween and Christmas specials, a first for the show. Once again, Yannick Bisson is directing two episodes and Maureen Jennings is writing one. Returning recurring stars are,

Nigel Bennett Nigel Bennett (born 19 November 1949) is a British-Canadian actor, director, and writer who has been based in Canada since 1986. He is best known for playing the vampire patriarch Lucien LaCroix in the TV series ''Forever Knight'', for which h ...

as Chief Constable Giles, Jesse LaVercombe as Jack Walker, Colin Mochrie as Ralph Fellows,

as James Pendrick and

as Terrence Meyers, with Keleghan's wife,

Leah Pinsent Leah Pinsent (born September 20, 1968) is a Canadian television and film actress. Career Pinsent made her film debut in 1984's '' The Bay Boy'', best known as Kiefer Sutherland's first film. The role garnered her a Genie nomination for Best Supp ...

, guest starring, playing his TV wife.

Season 16 (2022-23)

On June 1, 2022, the sixteenth season was announced, for another twenty four episodes, including another Halloween episode. Season sixteen also marked the 250th episode, which was filmed in black and white. Jesse LaVercombe reprised his role as Jack Walker in the two part season premiere. Yannick Bisson directed the third and fourth episodes, episode three featured three famous literary characters.

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...

and

Edith Wharton Edith Wharton (; born Edith Newbold Jones; January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) was an American novelist, short story writer, and interior designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portray ...

. Brian Paul,

, John Tench and

reprised their roles as Prime Minister Laurier, Terrence Meyers, Alexander Graham Bell and Allen Clegg, respectively, with this being the final appearance for Bennet. This season also marks the final appearance of James Graham as Arthur Carmichael. Olympic gold medal winner,

Andre De Grasse Andre De Grasse (born November 10, 1994) is a Canadian sprinter. A six-time Olympic medallist, De Grasse is the reigning Olympic champion in the 200 m, and also won the silver in the 200 m in 2016. He won a second silver in the 4×100 re ...

made his first TV appearance as a shop keeper, bragging how he fast he could run.

Webisodes

The Curse of the Lost Pharaohs

The Murdoch Effect

Nightmare on Queen Street

The Infernal Device

Beyond Time

The Book of Jackson

Notes

References

External links

Official CBC website
* {{DISPLAYTITLE:List of ''Murdoch Mysteries'' episodes Lists of Canadian drama television series episodes Lists of mystery television series episodes